urban planning

At least 10 percent of South Africa’s 44 million people live in urban informal settlements. This equates to more than 1.2 million households and an informal settlement population of over 4.4 million. Approximately 23 percent of the households in South Africa’s nine largest cities are estimated to be without adequate shelter. In reality, the actual numbers are probably significantly higher than these figures suggest.

Pupils from Nelson Ramodike High School still learn under trees despite the government’s promise to six years ago to eradicate tree, mud and shack classrooms in the Limpopo Province.

The school has a total enrolment of 765 pupils, but during rainy days, almost half of them do not report for school.

Situated in thick bushes at the foot of a mountain outside Lenyenye in Tzaneen, the school has only 15 classrooms, making teaching and learning impossible due to extreme overcrowding.

Homeless people in South Africa are caught between a ‘shack’ and an ‘RDP’ house. If they take matters into their own hands by invading and occupying land illegally, they face the prospect of eviction with nowhere else to stay.

With democracy being relatively new in South Africa, local government has had to undergo much institutional reform between 1994 and 2000. A key part of this overhaul has been the requirement for democratic processes in municipal decision-making methods between elections.

Recently, government has been encouraging municipalities to have public participation units. Local government in South Africa is now required to implement forms of public participation, particularly around development planning and budgeting.

A free Art Exhibition featuring internationally exhibited artists, plus a plethora of Walter Sisulu student and local work will be held at Chintsa River Golf Estate Swiss Villa from 15 December 2008 to 5 January 2009.

Chintsa River Golf Estate is 25 km from East London.

See Chintsa River Golf Estate for details.

Entry is free.  Opens 11am.  Closes 5pm.

All artwork is for sale and a portion of each art sale is donated to African Angels.

The North West Department of Developmental Local Government and Housing has launched a housing project worth R200 million for the working poor in Mafikeng.

The North West government will provide a R48 000 subsidy, called the Finance Linked Subsidy Programme, for those who want to purchase a house from the development. Only those making between R3 500 and R7 000 will qualify for the subsidy.

ATLAS Africa, the University of Botswana and the International Geographical Union's Commission of Tourism, Leisure and Global Change, are hosting the ATLAS Africa Conference 2009 from 1-3 July 2009 in Botswana.